New Caledonia (France)

New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific, is a global biodiversity hotspot – the smallest single hotspot in the world. It is home to extremely rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and has one of the highest observed rates of endemism in the world for terrestrial flora.

New Caledonia’s remarkable plant diversity consists of 3,261 species of indigenous flora (74% strictly endemic), which is nearly as many as on the whole of continental Europe (3,500 species).The territory also hosts 106 species of endemic reptiles, 6 species of endemic bats and 4,500 species of invertebrates (90% endemic). The birdlife of New Caledonia includes 23 species of endemic birds. Since 2008, the lagoons of New Caledonia and their reef diversity and associated ecosystems are designated in the UNESCO List of World Natural Heritage sites.

An exceptional heritage and its Observatory

New Caledonia alone comprises of about 75% of the surface of reefs and lagoons of all French territories. Their inclusion in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2008 is an international recognition of their richness. Read more

The remarkable biodiversity of dry forests

While they may not present a very spectacular appearance to uninformed eye, dry forests offer a wealth of exciting discoveries and a remarkable biodiversity to those who take the trouble to get to know them. In order to discover this unique habitat at risk, see here. Read more

New Caledonia at Rio+20

President Harold Martin and Anthony Lecren, member of the government in charge of the economy and sustainable development, attended the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These events allowed New Caledonia to present the “One Tree one Day a Life" programme and the Joint Position adopted by the states and territories of Oceania. Read more

New Caledonia: BEST pilot project

A number of organizations working to implement global agreements on biological diversity, combating desertification, land degradation and climate change announced a pilot partnership designed to promote projects and programs that work across these environmental fields, find links and deliver more effective results. Read more